Social Media Marketing

Social media is an efficient marketing tool because of its ability to reach a wide volume and variety of users. Social media is utilized by over 2 billion people, and it is becoming more and more prominent in our daily lives- making it an essential platform to reach your target audience.

Facebook is by far the largest social media channel for businesses. However, Instagram is also a great tactic to reach consumers as it grows in popularity. The amount of Instagram users has more than doubled in the last 2 years, with at least 700 million monthly users. * Most people are visual, so high-quality photos and videos on Instagram and Facebook are likely to improve your following as well as its reputation. It's also a very simple platform to use.

Running ads on these social media channels is a great way to increase visibility for your business, but it's important to create a balance between posting authentic content and jumping on a sales opportunity.** At its core, social media is a place for people to consume interesting content. If you are posting advertisements too often, its likely to harm your dealership's reputation because of the nature of the app.

With Facebook advertising, you can select your audience based on age, location, interests, and many other filters that best represent your target audience. You are in charge of your Facebook ad, so you choose where it'll be placed, how much you want to spend, and the format you want it to appear in. Choosing the right objective for your goal is essential- before you begin, know exactly what you want to get out of this campaign. For example - the number of clicks to your website, or completed lead forms.

Through Facebook's advertising dashboard, you can connect Instagram to drive more engagement to both platforms at the same time. A strong call to action (CTA) is important. Adding a "click here" or "find out more" button will drive more traffic to your site through your ads.

An easy way to promote your business over Instagram is to link your website in your images or stories. Even though Instagram Stories is fairly new, the feature already has 200 million active daily users.**** Utilizing this feature is becoming an essential tool in Instagram marketing. Through stories, those who are already inclined to use your services can easily do so through the link you provide. Those who are not interested yet in your products are still able to enjoy your content for its visual value.

When creating an ad, choose your direction wisely. User-generated content can help you convey a sense of trust for your business: 63% of users said they would rather see a real person in an advertisement.** Seeing a real person promoting your dealership gives viewers a sense that they are truly satisfied with your business, and that means they are likely to have a similar experience.

Promoting your content in a genuine way is crucial for selling effectively. Users don't like to see too many advertisements in their social media feeds. Subtle advertisements for your business, combined with entertaining and educational content and user-generated content, will ensure a better reputation.

*Business Insider
**Entrepreneur.com
***Entrepreneur.com